Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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16. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will condemn the hunger sieges taking place in Syria, given that Ireland is supportive of the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul in Turkey this week; and his views on many non-governmental organisations being critical of the summit because of the failure of the international community to uphold basic international humanitarian law and refugee rights. [11898/16]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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The five-year long conflict in Syria has been brutal, with more than 400,000 people dead, and consistent violations of human rights and international humanitarian law by parties to the conflict.

Ireland strongly condemns the deliberate blocking of food aid to civilians as a tactic in this brutal war. 90% of civilians under siege are victims of the Assad regime. I deplore in the strongest terms the attacks against medical facilities, and the removal by the Syrian authorities of medical supplies from convoys en route to besieged areas. There must be legal accountability for these crimes, and in 2014 Ireland co-sponsored a resolution calling for referral of the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court.

Conscious of the difficulties in securing humanitarian access, I am determined that Ireland’s funding for Syria will support those organisations which are best placed to reach those in need, including in besieged areas. In 2015, Irish Aid provided a total of €1.75 million to support the work of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC). Both have succeeded in recent months in negotiating access to besieged towns for convoys of food and other humanitarian supplies.

Against the background of this appalling conflict, and its tragic humanitarian consequences, the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul earlier this week was an important opportunity to galvanise the international community in ensuring more effective and responsive humanitarian action. Ireland’s delegation to the Summit was led by President Michael D. Higgins, and Joe McHugh T.D., Minister of State for the Diaspora and Overseas Development Aid. Civil society organisations had a strong and valued presence. Ireland shares their outrage at violations of International Humanitarian Law, and their conviction that the international community must do more to enable refugees to rebuild their lives. The World Humanitarian Summit was an opportunity to re-affirm our joint commitment to principled, effective humanitarian action.